About Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter. In the late 1200s, people of the agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) culture made it a home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for one or two generations. By approximately 1300, the Mogollon had moved on, leaving the walls behind.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
Weather is extremely variable. Summers are usually around 90° F. but approach 100° F. Winters have occasional snow or temperatures near 0° F. Thunderstorms are common in the summer and early fall, usually in the afternoon. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.2296&lon=-108.2639#.YUX0_SuSmUk
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: New Mexico. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
The National Monument and Visitor Center are open all year and are closed only for Thanksgiving Day (the 4th Thursday of November), Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1).
Activities
Current Alerts
There is NO water at the scorpion campgrounds and the trailhead for the cliff dwellings. Water is available at the Visitor Center, Woody's corral and TJ's corral.
Pets are not allowed onto the Gila Cliff Dwelling Trail. Kennels are available at the Trailhead on a First Come First Serve basis and are available to those that are going on the Cliff Dwelling Trail not the Wilderness trails.
Pack it in, pack it out! There are no trash services in or around the monument. All food & trash must be secured inside a vehicle. Ravens routinely open zipped bags & tear into trash bags left outside or in the bed of a truck.
Getting There
Passenger vehicles can drive north of Silver City, New Mexico to the monument on NM Hwy 15. The 46 mile trip can take up to two hours due to the narrow and mountainous curving nature of the road. RVs and vehicles pulling trailers should NOT use NM Hwy 15. From Silver City, take US Highway 180 to Santa Clara. Turn left onto NM Hwy 152 and drive to San Lorenzo. At San Lorenzo, turn left onto NM Hwy 35 and follow it to its termination at NM Hwy 15. Turn right on NM Hwy 15 and follow signs to the park.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Visitor Centers
Gila Visitor Center
Visitors can get information for visiting the park and watch an orientation film, and tour the museum.
WNP Park Store
At the trailhead to the cliff dwellings, you will find our park store operated by the Western National Parks. Many items related to the park,…
Campgrounds
Upper Scorpion Campground
Upper Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than…
Lower Scorpion Campground
Lower Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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